Kaufmann has been a major figure in the latest prefab movement (in case you’re not familiar with pre-fab, check out this background info from Dwell Magazine). She was finding innovative ways to transform out-of-the-box (but still dreamy!) homes into sustainable, practical solutions. Her model homes — especially the Glidehouse, mkSolaire, mkLotus and Sunset Breezehouse — were all breathtaking in their clean lines, simplicity and eco-friendliness.

I’ve long been a fan of Kaufmann’s vision and aesthetic, and often give her smaller DIY projects a shout-out on Design Happen’s sister blog, Ecologue.com (check out this cool bathmat or this outdoor recycled bottle chandelier). Let’s hope she finds a new way to bring her ideas to life — on both a large and small scale.

For inspiration and to honor her great ideas, check out www.mkd-arc.com. I might just go knock on some doors around here at HGTV and see if I can convince them to bring her on to help dream up next year’s Green Home.